Support for containers



y 1953 H. J. LARSON EI'AL 2,638,354

. SUPPORT FOR CONTAINERS I Filed Aug. 10, 1951 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented May 12, 1953 OFFICE 2,638,354. y Y .surron'r FOR CONTAINERS.

Harold J. Larson and George-.B..Devereaux, Brooklyn, N. Y.

. Application August 10, 1951:, Serial No. 241-,364

5 claims. (01. 280-44) This invention relates. to supporting means forheavy containers which may vary in size from. containers, to. be rolled.over. a floor to containers. which constitute truck or. freight. carbodies.

An object of the invention is to. provide. simple and. efficient meansfor handling containers of the. above type. I v

Another object. is. to provide. acontainer which normally is held inplace by its own weight, but which may be readily converted to a rollingcontainer when desired.

Another object is to providev a roller mounting for containers in whichthe, rollers. are. readily retracted to provide a stationary support. 5

Another object is to provide a. container support of the above type in:which the weight of the container is distributed over a comparativelylarge; areaof the supporting surface.

Various other objects, and advantages will be apparent as the nature ofthe invention is more fully: disclosed. I

The novel features which are characteristic of the'inventio'n will bebetter understood by refe'rring to, the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which a specific embodimentthereof hasbeen set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a container embodying the presentinvention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are partial transverse sections of the container taken onthe lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a detail view roller support;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the container;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken on the line (i-6 of Fig. 5showing the rollers in rolling position; and

Fig. 7 is a similar section on a larger scale showing the rollers innon-rolling position.

Referring to the drawings more in detail the invention is shown asapplied to a container which may constitute a box to be rolled on afactory floor or may constitute a portion of a freight car body. Thecontanier Ill is shown as provided with a bottom wall II carrying oneach side a longitudinal rail I2 having a plurality of verticallyelongated slots I3 formed therein for the purpose to be described. Aslide I is positioned against each rail I2 and is provided with ahorizontal flange I6 which is adapted to slide in the channel formedbetween the bottom wall II and a guide plate It. The slides I5 areprovided with a lower surface I9 in which recesses are formedillustrating one form of 2. in positions toregister with the verticallyelongatedslots I3 of the rails 12.

A plurality of rollers 25 are mounted, in suitable bearing not. shown onaxles 25 which extend through the: vertically elongated: slots I3 of therails; t2 and are held beneath the under surfaces IQ of the slides I5.The surfaces I9 are adapted. to? hold the. rollers spacedv from thebottom wall II in pcsitionto roll on a supporting surface. The rollers25 extend preferably across substantially the entire; width of thecontainer III so as to dis: tribute the weight over. a substantial areaand are provided with reduced end. portions 21 to provide clearance forthe flanges I6 when the rollers are in rolling position.

When the slides I5 are shifted to bring the notches 29 into registrationwith the axles 26 clearance is provided which allows the rollers to beretracted so that the bottom wall II of the container rests on the topsurfaces of. the rollers. In. this positionthe. weight.- of thecontainer and contents. is. transferred through the rollers to thesupporting; surface.. Since the axles. 26. are. confined against.longitudinal displacement by the slots I3 of the rails I2 the rollersare prevented from rotation and the container is fixed against movement.

In order to shift the slides I5 from rolling to non-rolling positions orvice versa, racks 30 are attached to each slide I5 and are engaged bypinions 3| which are attached to a shaft 32, extending across the bottomof the container and journalled in the rails I2. The shaft 32 may berotated by suitable means as by a handle 33 located at one end of theshaft and on the outside of the container II).

The container is preferably provided with a strengthening frame 48extending upwardly from the rails I2, which it may carry at its top witheyes #52 adapted to receive lifting hooks. The rails I2 may also carryshackles 43 to receive hooks for securing the container in place whennecessary.

In the operation of this device the slides I5 may be assumed to beshifted to the position shown in Fig. '7 wherein the container rests onthe top surfaces of the rollers 25 and the weight of the container andcontents is transmitted by the rollers to the floor. The rollers are nowin non-rolling position and the container is fixed on the floor. Whenthe container is to be shifted to a different location it may be raisedas by inserting lifting hooks through the eyes 42 and lifting thecontainer sufficiently to lift the rollers from the floor. This allowsthe axles 26 to drop to the lower end of the vertically elongated slotIS in the side rails l2 as indicated in Fig. 1. The slides [5 are thenshifted by a suitable actuation of the handle 33 to bring the lowersurfaces I9 of the slides over the axles 26. The rollers are thenretained in rolling position as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 and thecontainer may be rolled over the supporting surface or may be placed ona flat car and rolled into place. When it is so positioned the slidesare again actuated, either with or without lifting the weight from therollers, to bring the notches 20 into registration with the axles 26 andthereby permit the container to again rest on the surface of therollers.

In the case of comparatively light containers the slides 16 may beprovided with a cam surface 56 to permit the same to be shifted fromnon-rolling to rolling position without first removing the weight of thecontainer therefrom.

It is to be noted that when in non-rolling position the flanges l9 restupon the reduced end portions 2'! of the rollers so that the weight ofthe container and contents may be distributed along the entire length ofthe roller. This distributes the weight uniformly over the supportingsurface so as to reduce the load concentration thereon.

It is to be understood of course that in the above device the specificconstruction will vary according to the dimensions of the container andthe load to be carried. Also power means may be provided for shiftingthe slides from rolling to non-rolling positions so as to eliminate thenecessity for removing the weight of the container therefrom prior tosuch shifting.

Various changes and modifications may be made as will be readilyapparent to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A container having a fiat bottom wall, a plurality of rollersextending substantially across said container beneath said wall, bearingmeans at the ends of said rollers, side rails disposed below and alongthe sides of said bottom wall, said side rails having a depth less thanthe diameter of said rollers, whereby they are free from the supportingsurface at all times, said end roller bearing means being mounted insaid side rails, and means shifting said bearing means vertically insaid side rails between an upper position wherein said fiat bottom wallrests on the surfaces of said rollers and said rollers rest on saidsupporting surface to carry the entire weight of said container, and a.lower position wherein said rollers are spaced below the bottom wall ofsaid container whereby the rollers are free to roll on said supportingsurface.

2. A container, as set forth in claim 1, in which said bearing meanscomprises axles extending through said rails and supporting saidrollers.

3. In a container, as set forth in claim 1, slides extending along saidrails having lower surfaces engaging said bearing means to hold the samein said lower position, said slides having recesses therein to registerwith said bearing means to provide clearance to permit said rollers toassume said upper position, and means shifting said slides to bring saidrecesses into or out of registration with said bearing means.

4. A container, as set forth in claim 3, in which said last meanscomprises racks carried by said slides and pinions engaging said racksto actuate the same.

5. A container, as set forth in claim 3, in which said slides areprovided with cam surfaces to facilitate the shifting of said bearingmeans between said upper and lower positions.

HAROLD J. LARSON. GEORGE B. DEVEREAUX.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 170,379 Klunzinger Nov. 23, 1875 491,664 Roberts Feb. 14, 18931,857,468 McGinness May 10, 1932

